This was a very very early one – I’d jotted down a few notes from borrowing Mary’s book and then had to give it back. A couple of years later and the source was lost (back in those days we did not pay attention the way we do now) so I shared my bookmark pattern without realising the illustrious beginnings.

Hi Kersti,
I was just digging through all my old printouts of my fave tatting patterns I found on the web back in the day to get them put into Evernote. Was going to take a pic of it, but realized I could just put it into Evernote, so I can take the pattern with me on my android phone anywhere, directly from the web. When I saw that your site said you lost the source on this, I chuckled as I have a printout of it from 11/1/2002. Been loving this pattern ever since, have made one bookmark and am currently in the process of making a bracelet out of it. Thank you for the beauty you’ve added to our lives!

Dear Kersti
I truly love all your bookmark pattern. I would like to try this floral bookmark as my first serious project as it seems like something I can manage after a 30 year lay-off. Could you let me know what is the number of double stitch, picot, joining point for Chain A. Once again thank you for your lovely bookmark patterns. Your instructions are clear and accurate – a merciful gift for born-again tatters like me.

Hi Kersti, just came across this lovely pattern and sadly am stuck right at the beginning could you elaborate what you mean by 5p sep 4ds? Is it 5p separated by 4ds each? Or 5p separating 4ds i.e 1ds between each?

Also, is 1p left over because I only seem to have 4 joins for the petals?

Sorry for the random questions, but you mention using 3 or 6 strands of embroidery thread – I’m just wondering what difference you feel this makes to the finished product as opposed to using just the one strand of crochet or tatting cotton.

If you take a standard 6 strand skein of embroidery cotton and split that you can use just three to give you equivalent to approximately size 20 crochet cotton. 6 Strands together will give you equivalent to roughly a size 3 pearl cotton. I used to do this as when I started tatting there were not the colours available to me in crochet cottons. It is worth experimenting to find what works for you.

Hi Kersti, your patterns are beautiful, thank you so much for sharing them with us! I just had a couple of things that I noticed getting started on it. On the first ring and petal A, the picots are included that are necessary on the subsequent petals for attaching, but aren’t on the first, as there is no previous flower to attach to. It seems as though ring A should begin with 14 ds, followed by 4 p sep by 4ds, 4ds. Then petal A should have 15 ds, p, 3 ds… Etc. to avoid the extra picots on the beginning flower. Also, ring A has 30 stitches, where ring B only has 25. Is this intentional to accommodate the tassel? And finally, on the repeats of the flowers, the pattern indicates the stalk attaching to petal D, but the picture appears to show the stalk attaching to petal C of the previous flower. Correct?

I’ getting so twisted around. I wish this pattern came with a diagram that labeled the petals. I keep trying to refer to the photo, but mine isn’t looking like yours. Its somehow building the next flower off the wrong side of the first flower. I’m so frustrated, I really want make this. :'(

Sorry, for asking. It may be silly, but I don’t seem to understand something. How do I get the tread from the one stalk to the other? I know that the ball thread makes the stalks and the shuttle thread makes the rings but I don’t get the chain. Where does it fit? Thank you>

Meet Kersti

Aussie living in Scotland. I make pretty tatted lace, crochet and knit, bake, read, travel and geocache, and do generally geeky things too.